Improvement in burial-cases



D. W. HUNT.

Burial Case.

Patented Sept. 7,1875.

A? INVENTOR mamas.

WITNESSES:

N. PETERS. PHOTO LITNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D, C.

NITED STATES PATENT OF DAVID W. HUNT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BURlAL-CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 67,451, dated Septt mber 7, 1875; application filed May 8, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID W. HUNT, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial-Gaskets and Absorbents, of which the following is a specification The invention will first be fully described in connection with drawing, and then pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 is a top view of the casket, having the top part broken away to show the interior or bottom. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1, taken on the line 0000. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of Fig. 1, taken on the line 3 y. Fig. 4 is a side view, and Fig. 5 is an edge View, of an earthmattress.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the case, composed of the base B and the top G, the two parts being fastened together by butt-hinges at one side, so that the case may be readily opened and closed. In the bottom I place strips and blocks of wood to divide the bottom into cells.D, .to keep the earth in place when it is not confined in a sack. E represents the earth. F is a mattress filled with earth or other good absorbent.

G is the face-glass. The dead body is laid on the earth E, or on a mattress filled with some other good absorbent, and then is covered, in whole or in part, by another mattress filled with the same or a similar material. The absorbent, either loose or confined, is placed above and around the corpse, and so as to absorb the gases and fluids discharged during the first few hours, say, from twenty-four to ninety-six hours of lying in state. The disagreeable odors emitted from dead bodies may thus be avoided. The sides and ends of the lower section B are beveled, so as to incline toward the'cell-bottom, thus necessitating the employment of the smallest quantity of absorbent that will accomplish the object in View.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- A coffin furnished upon its bottom with cells for retaining dirt, or an equivalent absorbent beneath the body, as and. for the purpose specified.

DAVID WOODWELL HUNT.

In presence of--- N. PRocTER SMITH, J. M. RAUM. 

